Funding was approved for the Banbury Road Roundabout project in Bicester at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday 17 September.
The council said the “budget increase” was due to a combination of factors, including “unanticipated changes to traffic management requirements” and “necessary post-design changes to construction”.
In the meeting, the member of the cabinet for finance, Dan Levy, said: “To be honest, the sooner it can be done, the better. I still have bad dreams about that roundabout, I must admit.”
The roadworks project is to convert the Banbury Road roundabout into a signalised junction.
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The new junction plan is designed to safely increase vehicle capacity, using traffic signals, while also providing better pavements and cycleways and safer crossings.
The project, which has been met with controversy by residents and officials in the past, is currently in the third phase of five.
The third phase is expected to be completed by the end of October, after which Banbury Road will reopen to all road users.
In response to the funding being approved, district, city and county councilwoman Donna Ford said, “I think (residents) understand being furious about the increase.”
“Currently large HGV vehicles are struggling to turn right with the current layout and I have called for this to be reviewed as a matter of urgency.”
Ms. Ford said earlier Oxford Mail she was “shocked and appalled” that an extra £1.3m had been requested.
“This project was designed against the results of consultation from the public. It increased and increased in cost,” he said.
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However, Liberal Democrat councilor Rachel Mallows welcomes the funding.
“Like many residents, I’m delighted to see the Banbury Road roadworks finally nearing completion,” he said.
“This £1.3 million investment will help ensure the new junction is future proof for pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.”
A spokesman for Oxfordshire County Council said: “As the highways authority, we have a responsibility to design and deliver construction projects safely and responsibly.
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“There was a combination of factors that impacted on the overall costs of the scheme.
“This includes changes to drainage and additional utility diversions required.
“Working with local partners, we also decided to improve planned traffic management by adding manually operated traffic lights during key phases of the work, to keep traffic flowing.
“We continuously monitor the security of the site and work with our contractor to respond to any issues.
“The additional funding now allocated is drawn from existing central government funding.”